The Power of King and Queen
by Hermione331
Summary: Jaden Jacobs and Eve Aria have been best friends since they were eleven. After being bit by a faerie, (and in Jaden's case) and a demon in the guise of another, the two are inhabited by dark alter egos. They are known as the Supreme King Haou, and the Ivy Queen Laia. They wish to blend this and the Dark World and rule, no matter what it takes. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 0: The Unknown Beginning

The Power of **King **& _Queen_

Hermione331

-/-/-/-

"Come on Jaden, keep up!"

I laughed with glee as I sprinted up the hill to the oak tree behind the elementary school, my best friend trailing behind me. He was laughing too, but tripped suddenly because of the upward slope of terrain. I stopped to go back and see if he was alright, but before I could start back, he had gotten up again, a wide grin on his face.

"I'm okay, Eve! Don't worry!" He called, running forward again.

I smiled and waited until he was next to me again, and we set off once more to the oak tree. The two of us were dropped off onto the campus by my mom to visit my older brother of a year, Atticus Rhodes. He was twelve at the time, and us eleven. Jaden and I sat down under the tree, laughing and rolling around in the soft grass surrounding it. We sat under the tree for about twenty minutes, just talking and occasionally wrestling. After a second wrestling session, we noticed two little things with wings lazing around a bunch of flowers. Immediately I crawled over to see what it was, and I gasped as I took in the sight.

There was a little faerie flitting about the flowers, collecting the sap from their stems. I almost squealed, but resisted as I picked up the faerie, so small and delicate in my palms. She immediately looked up at me in annoyance, and I caught sight of the faerie's bright violet eyes, staring seemingly through me. The small faerie had deep, forest green hair that was twisted into a bun by a small ring of ivy ringed with thornes. Her skin was a light brown color, like wood. The faerie's garb seemed to resemble that of a black painted leaf, cut to be spiked at the skirt. She was beautiful, in a wicked way. I brought her close to my nose, a large smile on my face.

"Hi there, little faerie! What're you doing?" I asked excitedly. The faerie said nothing, scowling. She stood up and swayed to the edge of my palm, smirking now. Before I could comprehend what was going on, the faerie had stepped forward and bared her teeth, sinking them into the skin of my nose.

I squealed in pain as the faerie flew away, clutching my nose as tears gathered in my eyes. Seconds later, I heard Jaden cry out in pain as well. He then cried out a second time, louder than the first. We both turned to each other in fright, clutching the bitten parts of ourselves. As we sat there, on the verge of tears, we both sniffled and started to cry, unable to hold back anymore.

"Jaden, it hurts!"

"I know, I'm hurt too!"

We sat there crying for a long while, letting the shock of what had happened wear off as we settled down against the tree, emotionally tired. Even when you were eleven, having a good cry tends to take a lot out of you. We looked at each other for a minute, not saying anything as we tried to recollect ourselves in between sniffles and hiccups. His brown eyes were so bright; I hadn't seen anything so full of hope and happiness in my life. They were shining unnaturally after a while, and I found myself unable to tear my gaze away. There was a tingling in my chest that grew more uncomfortable the longer I stared at him, and it seemed as though he was staring at my eyes as well. We both jumped back a few seconds later, shocked at what we had seen.

Jaden's eyes flashed a golden color for the briefest of time. I was shocked, eyes widening. Jaden's eyes widened as well, and he pointed a shaky finger at me.

"Eve, your eyes were just purple!" He exclaimed.

I gasped and blinked; just to make sure my eyes felt the same. I was relieved to find that I felt completely normal, save for the frightened race of my heart. Jaden was fine too, except for two, small red dots at his finger.

There was a moment of silence, the two of us merely staring at each other for a short while longer. Then we smiled.

"That was so cool!"

"Yeah! Nobody can say they got bit by a faerie!"

"Well, I got bit by two!"

I gasped, and then pouted.

"That's no fair! I only got bit by one!"

Jaden giggled and stuck his tongue out at me, making me giggle as well. We chattered excitedly about the faeries for a while longer, as well as our eyes changing color, and soon got bored of the subject. We continued rolling around in the grass happily, waiting for Atticus to come from class. After we calmed down and relaxed, Jaden looked over at me with a bright smile.

"I can't wait to meet your older brother, Eve!" Jaden exclaimed, brown eyes shining. I frowned, and shook my head.

"Technically, he's not my brother anymore. But Mrs. Mom said I could visit him when I want!" I said. Jaden's smile faltered, but quickly returned, full force.

"That's great, Eve!" He cried. I nodded, and looked towards the classrooms as I saw the older kids piling out. Immediately, I spotted Atticus running towards us, a wide grin on his face. I grinned, and ran towards him as fast as my legs would carry me.

"Hey there, Eve! I haven't seen ya in forever!" Atticus said, chocolate eyes shining. I smiled wide, and threw my arms around his neck, burying my head into his chest.

"Atti, I missed you! Lucky Mrs. Mom still lets me see you, right?" I sniffled, looking up at him with bright turquoise eyes. Atticus smiled softly down at me, stroking my short brown hair.

"It's real lucky, Evie. I dunno what I'd do if my 'lil sister wasn't around anymore..." he trailed off, and smiled before I could get worried. He finally spotted Jaden and smiled again, walking over to introduce himself. "Hey there, bud! You must be Jaden, right? I'm Atticus, nice to meet you!" he said. Jaden put on a solemn face, and extended a hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Atticus," he said seriously.

Atticus looked confused for a second, and then he laughed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, bro," he smiled.

We all sat down on the grass and started chatting excitedly, Atticus with an arm slung around my shoulder and Jaden sitting in front of us. Atticus poked my shoulder and grinned, ruffling my hair.

"Did you miss me, Squirt?" He teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him and giggled.

"I did miss you, Atti. Alexis too," I said.

Jaden chose to speak up at that moment, eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Eve, why do you keep saying that Atticus and Alexis aren't really your brother and sister?" He asked softly.

Atticus and I looked at him with sad faces, but I heaved a little sigh and waited for Atticus to recount the story.

_I had heard from Atticus that Mom and Dad were going to have a younger brother or sister soon, and I was excited. There was going to be a new member to our family! Atticus and I were so happy that we attempted to write a song together, to welcome our younger sibling. I showed great promise for skill in my lyrics, but evantually needed to ask Atticus for help. It was just a little hard when your older brother was six, and you yourself were five. In a few weeks, though, we had finished the song. The two of us happily went on our way to the living room, excited to see her._

_We had gotten to the living room and saw our three year-old little sister, Alexis, when we heard Mom on the phone. She sounded mad, or sad, or tired. Maybe she had needed some sleep. What she was saying caught Atticus's attention, though._

_"I can't take care of three kids so different in needed responsibility, unfortunately. Alexis has a babysitter, but Atticus and Eve have piano and guitar lessons coming up, and Eve has been talking about vocal lessons... It's much too exhausting. I have no choice but to put Eve up for adoption."_

_I looked up at Atticus with wide, turquoise eyes._

_"Atti, what is 'doption?" I asked._

_He was shaking, and his face had paled. He looked down at me with dark brown eyes that were watery, like he was going to start crying._

_"Eve, I think Mom is going to give you to another family," he said, small voice trembling._

_I grabbed his hand and shook my head frantically._

_"No, Atti! I wanna stay with you!" I cried. Atticus shook his head and started stroking my hair softly, a stray tear running down his face. _

"_Sorry, Evie. I can't do anything," he said. At that moment, our mom came from the living room and saw us huddled together, in tears. Her tired expression grew even wearier when she registered what the cause of our sadness was._

"_Kids, did you hear me on the phone?" she asked quietly. Atticus and I nodded, sniffling. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, letting the thick bangs shadow her face. _

"_I'm sorry you had to hear that, but it just has to be done."_

_Atticus and I both heard the tone of her voice, and it didn't sound too apologetic._

_-/-/-/-/-_

_Atticus was on his knees at our-his front door as I turned to look at him one last time, one hand clutching a suitcase of my clothes. His eyes were full of tears, streaming down his face. He reached a hand out, the other clenching his chest._

"_Eve, don't go! You can't!" he shouted. I shuddered, tears rolling down my chin. I gripped my suitcase tighter, and took a deep breath._

"_I wish that I could stay, Atti. I'll wish every day. Goodbye," I turned and walked to the car that would take me to the orphanage, where nobody had parents, or their parents abandoned them._

"_EVE!" Atticus's voice broke through the deadly silence that had settled outside, as nobody was saying a word. I turned around again, looking at Atticus with wide, turquoise eyes. They were moist with tears that I promised myself wouldn't fall, though a few stray ones had rolled down my cheek, betraying me. _

"_I'll see you again, Eve. Someday, somehow, some way," he said. I smiled sadly, and nodded in reassurance. _

"_I'll see you again, Atti. Someday, somehow, some way." We each held out our index and middle fingers in a peace sign, and called out to each other. _

"_Mayday!"_

Jaden peered up at the two of us with watery eyes, looking at the two of us crying silently, clutching onto each other for dear life. I looked up at Atticus with a sad smile, giving him a peace sign.

"Luckily, Mrs. Mom made that dream stay true. Someday," I started our saying, and Atticus smiled in return as he held out his respective peace sign.

"Somehow,"

"Some way,"

"Mayday." Jaden looked up at us curiously again, and pouted, obviously frustrated about something.

"Why do you guys say 'Mayday' at the end?" he asked. We looked at each other for an answer, and eventually Atticus just shrugged.

"We… don't really know. I'm going to have to say that in our minds, a mayday is a time where chaos ensues, and we promised each other that no matter what happened, we would see each other again. So, we promised to find a way back to each other, even if it was a mayday," Atticus said. I smiled at his explanation, and Jaden nodded in thoughtful understanding.

"I'm glad you guys _did_ get to see each other again. I don't know what I'd do if I had a sibling I wouldn't be able to see anymore," he looked away in thought, eyebrows furrowing as I assumed he tried imagining it. Atticus laughed, and nudged me again.

"Enough with the sad stuff, because that's in the past now, alright? I want to hear about what you've been doing, Evie," he said. I smiled and fiddled with the hem of my tee-shirt, embarrassed.

"I haven't really been doing much except for passing my grades with flying colors, meeting Jaden, and continuing my music studies. I've also added art into it, but I can't do much else than draw cartoons that have already been depicted. I am absolutely horrible when it comes to drawing things of my own accord!" I laughed at myself and shook my head, and flushed when Atticus positively beamed at me.

"I always knew my lil' sissy was a talented little nut!" he laughed at his own teasing, shaking his head. I shot him a light glare, and punched him on the shoulder.

"Don't call me sissy, Atti. It's not cool," I huffed and narrowed my eyes, turning away to smile at Jaden. He was trying to suppress his laughter, but utterly failing. We merely caught up with each other and talked with Jaden as time went by, and stragglers left the elementary school campus one by one. We stopped talking and simply sat there under the oak tree, enjoying the light breeze as Jaden lay down across mine and Atticus's legs, curling into himself for warmth as Atticus stroked my hair, my head resting on his shoulder. I shifted to get comfortable in Atticus's embrace, and poked the top of Jaden's head.

"…Jay," I whispered. Atticus had fallen asleep a few minutes prior, and was snoring loudly against my shoulder. Jaden picked his head up slowly and blinked groggily before his eyes landed on me, and a smile broke out.

"Eve, this has been a really nice afternoon. Thanks for taking me to meet Atticus," he whispered back. I nodded in return, and we merely sat there, staring at each other. His eyes were bright, so bright, unbelievably bright, it shocked me. His chocolate brown irises were swirling with emotion, startling me as he returned my gaze with a sharp, intense look. I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from his, and soon my chest started stirring, a tingling feeling that I flinched at upon registering the feeling. Still, though, we did not tear our gazes. Jaden's eyes seemed to be glowing, drawing me closer to him. The color was slowly brightening at this point, now a shimmery hazel to me. His eyes widened slightly, as if he were seeing something that surprised him, but did not say anything. We continued to stare, and the longer we did, the more uncomfortable the tingling in my chest became. My head had started to gently throb as well, and Jaden's eyes had turned into a brownish orange color, the pupil seeming to get smaller. I couldn't tear my gaze away, though at this point the strange state of my friend's eyes made me want to. Jaden furrowed his eyebrows, as if he were trying to do something, when the pounding in my head and chest grew painful, and a sharp cry escaped my lips. Jaden's eyes had become completely yellow, the pupil shrunk and merely a black ring around a white circle.

"_My King…" _Those words tumbled out of my mouth without my consent, not my voice. Jaden gasped, his yellow eyes widening.

"_**My Queen…**_" Jaden's voice was deeper, and harsh. I did not recognize the voice that spoke with Jaden's lips, but a second mind, second consciousness in myself alerted me of its emotion by sending a short burst of joy in my mind, and I scrambled away from Atticus, eyes wide.

"_Is it really you, my King?_" I asked, astonished. Jaden nodded, and reached a hand out to me.

"**After years a thousand, we have finally been reunited**," he replied softly. He leaned forward and touched my cheek with a tentative hand, eyes wide with wonder. I reciprocated the facial expression, and threw my arms around his waist, burying my face into his chest.

"_My King, it has been far too long! I have missed you so!_" I cried, tears streaming down my face. Jaden stroked my hair fondly, and smiled down at me.

"**It is agreed, my Queen. I am filled with glee at seeing your beautiful eyes once again,**" he whispered. As we sat with each other away from Atticus in each other's arms, my brother woke up slowly, and groaned as he stretched.

"Man, that's the best nap I've ever had!" he cried out happily, eyes shut and arms outstretched. He stopped as he opened his brown eyes and they landed on us in each other's embrace, and he narrowed them.

"Evie? Jaden? What do you think you're doing, sitting like that?" he asked. I could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice, but I merely rolled my eyes and waved a dismissive hand.

"_Silence, brother. I am merely being reunited with my King,_" I replied haughtily. Jaden chuckled at my words, his body shaking slightly with the vibrations. Atticus stood up with a slight glare on his face, and he marched over to us. When he stood close enough, he pried Jaden and me apart, which caused us to both glare at him, eyes flashing. Atticus stumbled backwards as he caught sight of our unusual iris color, and pointed a shaky finger at the both of us.

"E-vie, Jaden, what's up with your eyes? Are you playing a game or s-something?" he stuttered. A small glare appeared, and he stomped a foot. "This game isn't very funny, and you guys are being real brats right now! I should've known this visit would go wrong… so much for mayday…" he trailed off and turned, running a hand through his hair. Jaden glared as I returned, only for my bright turquoise eyes to fill with tears as I turned away from Atticus, hurt.

"**Your callousness and insensitivity may have started, but it shall not continue!**" Jaden's tiny form stood up, and flickering plates of armour materialized, black and deadly with a gold trim. Jaden raised an armoured hand and grabbed Atticus's throat, causing him to cry out. My eyes widened in horror as my older brother was lifted from the ground, while Jaden wore a ghostly, barely there smirk. At the sight of his cat-yellow eyes, I gasped, feeling the aching pain in my head and chest stir again. The pain inflicted onto my eleven year-old body was unbearably painful, and I screamed.

My eyes shifted uncomfortably in their sockets as my eyes changed again, and my short brown hair lengthened, stopping at my shoulders as it brightened into a sea foam green. My skin paled at an alarming rate, an I felt a small pinch at my lower lip. It turned out that I had grown fangs. I scowled at Atticus now, whose eyes were as wide as dish saucers, face pale.

"_I sense a feeble darkness within you, brother. I and thy King shall manifest that, and you will serve us well in due time. Haou, relinquish your hold on Atticus_," I said. Jaden scowled again, but let go of his throat. Atticus fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, groaning as he made contact with the floor. I raised a lazy hand and flicked my wrist, watching as a vine shot from the ground, ensnaring Atticus' ankle. The vine grew until it was tall enough to imitate the tree we were currently under, hanging Atticus upside down by his ankle. He held his hands out towards me, frantic.

"Eve, you can't do this! Not to your own brother!" he cried.

The smirk that graced my face was not mine, yet it was _mine_. I chuckled and shook my head.

"_Fool, I do not wish to kill you. I merely seek servitude and commitment in the future."_ With that, Jaden flicked his writst, and a small knife appeared. Atticus' eyes widened as he flicked his wrist again, and the blade grazed my older brother's wrist, but missed otherwise. Atticus cried out as blood slowly oozed out of the wound, a red color mixed with the faintest of grey smoke seeping into it. As the Shadows took effect, Atticus glared at Jaden, and struggled against his bindings with anger.

"Let go of me, you little twerps! I'll show you who's stronger with fists!"

Jaden smiled wide, showing his too white teeth and tiny fangs. He snapped his fingers, and in his hand a large pair of garden shears appeared. He tossed them on the floor under Atticus, just out of his reach.

"**Come into possession of those shears and free yourself, if you wish. You have one minute.**"

Jaden materialized a large pile of throwing knives to act as seconds, and began flicking them at Atticus, each knife barely grazing his skin, but drew blood and allowed a small wisp of shadows to seep into each wound. I watched in silent indifference as Atticus cried out each time, more fervent and angry than the last. Jaden had thrown forty knives before Atticus swung himself towards the shears, and grabbed them. Quickly he set himself free, and I smiled as Atticus stood up, his normally brown eyes alive with malice and anger, their irises now a bright cerulean.

"_**Alright, I've freed myself from the vine. Now let's settle this already!**_" Atticus snarled, baring his teeth.

Jaden and I grinned, each materializing one large sword. Atticus' eyes narrowed, the cerulean growing brighter. He growled, and with a ripple of Shadows, a large samurai blade materialized in his hands.

"_**Alright, kids. Play time is over!**_" he shouted.

Jaden merely chuckled and twirled the knife in his hand lazily.

"**That's right, fool, embrace the darkness. Let it consume you, feast upon your weaker side.**" While Jaden had been twirling the knife, his hand had been sliced multiple times. His hand was severely mangled, with blood seeping out of the wounds at a steady pace. The grass below us was beginning to stain red. Atticus snarled at Jaden's indifference, and I smiled as my older brother's attire changed.

His tee-shirt and shorts re-materialized into a long, black trench coat, with buckles on the bicep and each sleeve ending in a strip of fabric that wrapped around Atticus's hands and middle fingers like a glove. A mask appeared as well, black and sharp. It covered half of his face, shrouding his nose, but left his mouth unconvered. Red glinting eyes were glowing through slits in the mask. His face sobered immediately, and Atticus bowed.

"_**Deepest apologies, my King. My Queen. Nightshroud is my name. As requested, I shall serve you, when the time is right…**_"

The mask and trench coat dissolved, leaving Atticus as himself once again. When he opened his eyes, they were still a bright cerulean. He grinned as he spoke.

"_**Though Nightshroud's presence is not to be shown through appearance, his spirit still lies dormant within me, yet to be awakened when the time comes. There are, though, others with a soul fit to serve you as well,**_" he said. I raised my eyebrow, and put a hand on my hip.

"_Who are these people?_" I asked.

"_**My Queen, these individuals include Zane Truesdale, Chazz Princeton, Aster Phoenix, Jesse Anderson, and Alexis Rhodes. You shall meet them when the time draws near,**_" he said. I smiled, and emitted a harsh laugh.

"_How interesting! My own dear baby sister is suit to serve me,_" I walked over to Jaden and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"_My King, when our army is complete, nothing will be able to stop us!_" I said with a sultry smile. Jaden smirked in response, and kissed my cheek. At that moment, our forms returned to normal, and gasped as we all struggled to draw in a full breath. Jaden looked down at his bloody hand and frowned, then slid to the ground as his eyes closed. He fell unconscious, just as me and Atticus fell forward as well, each a lifeless body on the grass.

-/-/-/-/-

"_And tonight, a new story has just surfaced. At local school Domino Elementary, three kids have been found unconscious under a tree outside of campus. The children were identified as eleven-year-olds Jaden Jacobs and Evelyn Rose, and a twelve-year-old who wishes not to be named. Jacobs was sporting a severely mangled and bloodied hand, and the twelve-year-old, who was only said to be Evelyn's older brother, had several shallow knife wounds littering his body. Evelyn was seemingly uninjured, and brought in for questioning to find if she had been their assaulter. After hours of trying to get something out of her, though, they came up with nothing._

"_Oh, what's this? It seems as though that during the frantic drive to get Jacobs and Evelyn's older brother to the hospital, there'd been a car crash! Jacobs was killed instantly, but Rose's older brother had survived with only a broken arm! How fate works is unexplainable even beyond me. Let us all take a moment to remember Jaden Jacobs."_


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Duel Academy

Chapter 1: _Welcome to Duel Academy_

_-/-/-/-_

"Eve Aria, congratulations! You have passed your exams and entrance duel with flying colors! Welcome to Ra Yellow!" Chancellor Sheppard said to me with a warm smile, shaking my hand. I blushed and shook his hand firmly, not making eye contact. I had passed my entrance exams. I was in Ra Yellow! The duel was tough, but the dueling proctor was easy once I got past the bluffs and smack talk. I had hoped I would be upgraded to Obelisk Blue soon enough; I knew a lot about Duel Monsters, but just needed that extra push to be the best. I promised myself that I would be the first Queen of Games, given I could strive for the highest and reach my goal. I was a duelist that relied on my cards for everything, trusting them with everything I had. I had a Spellcaster type deck, mostly out of the fascination I had for magick. I wasn't really into the magic with fairies and unicorns. I believed in the magick with faeries and warlocks. It was a world that fascinated me almost as much as my fascination with art, music and drawing.

I also had a gift. I was a duelist that had a special ability to speak with Duel Monster spirits. My faithful spirit was the Sage of Silence, kind and helpful to me in every duel I fought. I was undefeated, using the same cards every time, but always whipping out a new strategy. It was invigorating to duel, almost as much as my singing. I was going to Duel Academy to gain knowledge in dueling, if my music career flopped. I needed something to fall back on, right? I was merely planning ahead for my future, like any responsible young adult at eighteen.

As I reached my dorm, I opened it to find that it was moderately sized, with a single bed, a nightstand, a window with a nice view, and a large enough closet for all of my clothes. They were all yellow uniforms, but I could live with it. The girl's uniforms were so degrading, in my opinion. I bought the boy's uniforms instead, and a nice pair of white gloves with golden studs on the knuckles to show my style. I had gotten called out by Dr. Crowler, but oh well. I was following dress code, so who cared what gender dress code I was specifically following?

I was sitting at my desk, looking through my deck when there was a soft, timid knock on my door. Without looking up I called out "Come in!" And continued to shuffle through my deck. When the door clicked shut again and another Ra Yellow was standing in my dorm, I looked up to see who it was. My eyes fell upon a guy with his uniform neatly buttoned up, and nice, pleated slacks. His skin was only the barest inkling of tan, and my eyes quickly assessed his face. He had short, dark hair that seemed to stick out at the end, like it was smoothed back. His eyes were a sort of mocha grey, and seemed to be calculating me as well. I smiled up at him and waved.

"Nice to meet ya! What's your name?" I asked.

The boy bowed and smiled politely back.

"My name is Bastion Misawa, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I was just coming over to see if you were settling in well," he replied.

I released a happy sigh, my chair turning so I could get a view of my dorm room.

"Bastion. That's a cool name! My name is Eve Aria, and my dorm is about finished, save for the paper on my walls. I haven't put that up yet," I frowned as I said this, visualizing different set-ups as I surveyed the room. Bastion walked over and sat next to me, looking baffled.

"Why exactly do you need paper over your walls?" He asked.

I smiled sideways at him, and spread my arms in a dramatic fashion.

"This room is my studio! My pool of imagination! I will use these walls to create worlds unknown even to me at the moment! This room will be a place for me to write," I said.

Bastion raised an eyebrow, and offered a small smile.

"That's impressive. My own dorm walls are filled with equations and formulae based off of Duel Monsters strategies," he said.

I looked over at him in astonishment. He had his walls filled up? Just like I was going to? I slung an arm around Bastian's shoulders with a wide grin, the other patting his shoulder.

"Bastion, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

-/-/-/-

I walked into the cafeteria hall that Bastion showed me to, and quickly got my food. It was Taco Tuesday, which made me smile. I hoped the less than decent food at Duel Academy wouldn't make me forget about my mom's cooking before I saw her again during holiday break. I had actually taken my exams late, as I was a transfer student from North Academy. My mom insisted that I take the regular exams and duel, like all the other students. So, I was new and Bastion the only friend I had so far. I was surprised to see two boys, one a Slifer, the other an Obelisk Blue, walking up to Bastion with grins on their faces. I turned to him, confused.

"Bastion? Are those your friends?" I asked.

He sighed theatrically and nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes. They're dorks sometimes, but I can live with it," he replied.

"Hey, Bastion! That's no way to talk about a friend!" The tall Slifer mock scolded. I looked over at the two of them curiously, and my breath caught.

The taller Slifer had his jacket open, revealing a dark grey crew-neck tee shirt. His hair was shaggy and caramel brown, poofy and sticking up. The top of it seemed to be orange, but I couldn't tell if it was natural or not. His skin was slightly tanned, and face a tad rounded. He looked... cute. Childish. So unbelievably young. What captivated me the most was his eyes. They were a normal caramel brown color, but something else was there. It was an undercurrent of light, energy, hope. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"...Jaden?"

The taller Slifer turned at the sound of my voice, looking curious.

"Yeah?"

My eyes widened; the Slifer's name was Jaden! I wondered if he was the Jaden that I had forgotten so long ago. The Jaden that was my best friend, the one that talked about magick and beautiful creatures that could trick you into your own death, the faeries.

"Jaden? Jaden Jacobs?" I braced my hands on the table and stood up, my hands trembling with anticipation. Jaden furrowed his eyebrows, and for a second I would've sworn I saw a flash of yellow in his eyes. The color vanished as quick as it came, and he shook his head, as if to clear it.

"I'm sorry; you must have mistaken me for someone else. Jaden Yuki's the name, and dueling's my game!" He winked at me, and laughed heartily.

My heart sank. ... It wasn't the Jaden I knew. I had been so sure that it was him! I couldn't believe that it wasn't my Jaden. After the news of Jaden Jacobs' death, a nagging second consciousness had sent me a flash of an image. Jaden was at a different home, with a different family, and looking cheery. I supposed it was him visiting another friend's house, completely safe, and smiled. The second prescence was trying to tell me that he was really safe, despite the world thinking he had died in a car crash. I shook these thoughts from my head as I smiled at Jaden Yuki, who had offered his hand with a soft smile on his face. I hesistated before taking it in my own, and quickly becoming amazed. His hands were calloused, but firm in their grip and extremely warm. My chest did a funny jolt at that, and I quickly pulled away to turn to the shorter Obelisk Blue, a small blunette with wide grey eyes and small, rounded glasses.

"And what's your name?" I asked kindly, leaning forward a bit to become eye leve. The Obelisk blushed and coughed as he met my calculating, turqoise gaze. My eyes had matured considerably since my last meeting with Atticus, extremely sharp and naturally narrow now that I was 18. I assumed that Jaden, Bastion, and the Obelisk were Alexis' age of sixteen, but I had suspicions of Jaden being Jacobs still, and thought his age must be fake. But I'd known him for all of five minutes, and had no right to ask. The blunette Obelisk coughed quietly, and tried his best not to tremble as he met my gaze again.

"M-my name's S-syrus," he stammered. I straightened and smiled warmly at him, and held out my hand.

"It's quite nice to meet you, Syrus! My name is Eve. Eve Aria, the first Queen of Games!" I winked down at him, causing a slight roll of the eyes as he looked sideways over at Jaden with a fond smile.

"I wouldn't let Aniki here you saying that around him…" he trailed off with a grin, and I rolled my eyes. Jaden Yuki, next King of Games? I found that highly unlikely. Luckily, Jaden hadn't heard, and the four of us sat down for lunch.

-/-/-/-

After lunch, I found that I had Phys Ed with Jaden and Syrus, who were both quick to help me with my schedule in place of Bastion. With Jaden looking eager to show me around the gym, Syrus shot the occasional glare my way, but otherwise didn't say anything. We all gathered around the teacher, whose name I could not remember for the life of me, as she explained a long-term assignment.

"Alright, class, I have decided that instead of a group performance at our next assembly, we will be doing a partner dancing segment. Each of you will choose your partner, and pick a song out of the CD's and cassettes that I have in my office. Come to me when you have found your partner, and we'll talk music!" We disbanded quickly, everybody trying their best to find a suitable partner. I stood awkwardly, not knowing anybody at being the new girl, but was surprised when somebody approached me.

The guy's hair was a lighter shade of black, and very….. tall. I'm not sure how else to explain it, other than being extremely tall, and spiky. His eyes were narrowed and a calculating grey, as if daring anybody to talk to him. His face and physique were slim and pale, but otherwise in shape and healthy. As he walked up to me, a small smile graced his otherwise stoic expression, and I felt myself blushing slightly.

"Hey there. Are you new?" he asked quietly. I nodded nervously, and tried not to meet his gaze completely for sake of not knowing him. A grin flitted across his features before the soft smile was back in place, and he bowed to me, a hand extended.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, then would you do the honor of oh, I don't know, being my dance-"

"I'M SORRY, Chazz, but Eve already agreed to be my dance partner," Jaden interrupted loudly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I tried twisting around to shoot him an incredulous look, but couldn't find the strength to, as his arms were very strong. The guy scowled darkly at Jaden before stalking off, muttering something I couldn't hear. Finally his grip on me lessened and he let out a relieved sigh. I turned in his loose embrace with a quizzical expression, raising an eyebrow.

"What the hell was that all about?" I asked. Jaden flushed, and cleared his throat before answering.

"That was just Chazz Princeton, an Obelisk Blue, and my greatest rival. Do you see the problem there? He's got one heck of an ego, and likes to introduce himself to pretty girls…" I smirked at him when he trailed off, seeing the red tinge on his cheekbones darken.

"Oh, so you think I'm pretty like Princeton does, then?" I teased. Jaden pointedly avoided my gaze and released my shoulders completely, coughing rather loudly. I laughed as Syrus approached with his dance partner, a rather mousey girl with blonde hair and magenta eyes, took one look at Jaden, and immediately rolled his eyes in amusement over his best friend's embarrassment. He smiled at me good-naturedly, and started leading his partner away.

"You two pick out a good song, alright? I've never seen Jaden dance before, and possibly to the cheesiest, prettiest and girliest song in the teacher's collection would be hilarious," he grinned cheekily at me as he turned to the collection of music now just outside of the teacher's office, and I turned back to Jaden.

"So I guess that means we're partners?" I asked uncertainly. Jaden shuffled between feet for a moment, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"Y-yeah, I guess so," he muttered. I smiled widely, and grabbed his hand. I turned towards the music collection as I laced our fingers, not really noticing if Jaden's blush had gotten any worse by doing so. I skimmed through the music until I found a CD that was lying on my dorm desk, as well as the teacher's collection.

"Jaden, how would you feel about doing this song on the album here?" I asked. As said brunette looked at the title of the song, he blushed again, and muttered something like 'always has to be the stupid love songs.' He smiled wearily up at me, though, and reluctantly nodded. The teacher ushered us all back into a group once everybody had picked out a song.

"Alright, class! We will have regular P.E days from now on, but I expect you to sign up for practice blocks at the dance hall!" she called out. A few murmurs of agreement rose from her statement, but otherwise there was a lack of reaction. I raised my hand, and waited for the teacher to call on me.

"Yes, Miss…?"

"Aria, Miss. I was just wondering, when will we be performing our recitals?"

A confused jumble of murmurs agreed with my question, as she had given no specific date. Clapping her hands, the teacher quieted everybody down as quick as possible.

"A wonderful question, Miss Aria. That had completely slipped my mind! You will all have a month to rehearse your routine, and present it in front of the class for grading."

The bell rang at that moment, freeing everybody from class. We all slowly disbanded to the locker rooms, partners beginning their plans for recitals. Jaden and Syrus were walking towards the locker room with their backs to me, talking quietly about something. I saw Jaden's arm wrap around Syrus' shoulders, and the tiny blunette immediately leaned into the touch, but it seemed Jaden had not noticed. I smiled softly to myself, turning towards the girl's locker room when a pair of dark grey eyes greeted me.

"Hi there," I said casually, masking my surprise. Princeton grinned at me, and held out a hand.

"Hey. I didn't really get a chance to introduce myself, I apologize. My name is Chazz Princeton, and I was wondering…" he trailed off as I shook his hand, and I gazed at him expectantly. Maybe my bright eye color and narrowed shape was intimidating, I thought absently. I tried relaxing, to make my expression less fierce, and Princeton looked up at me with a set face and red cheeks.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me," he said. I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise, and he coughed.

"I mean like a Get to Know Each Other kind of date, of course," he added quickly. I looked at the floor in thought, my arms crossed in front of my chest. Should I go out with Princeton? Jaden had warned me that he was egotistical, and asked out a lot of girls . But he had just said it was to get to know the other, and I was seriously considering it. Maybe Jaden had been wrong, and didn't know Princeton as well as he thought he did. I smiled up at him, holding out a hand to be shaken again.

"I will go on a Get to Know Each Other kind of date, Princeton. Maybe tonight, at eight?" I said. Princeton nodded, and for the briefest of seconds, a wide grin split across his face. It was a look I was sure Princeton wasn't used to using, as several people turned to look at him with frightened expressions. He shook my hand firmly without a reply, and turned. I smiled absently at his back for a moment before turning the other way so I could get changed.

-/-/-/-/-

To my surprise, when Jaden and Syrus found me again after my Tag Team Field class for dinner, I was lead to the Slifer Red Dorm, and upon entering, was surrounded by a crowd of people who had gone silent.

After a quick sweep across the room with an expert eye, I saw Bastion, and Chazz. Some others I did not recognize, but my breath caught when I saw certain other people. There was a particularly good-looking toned blunette with intense emerald eyes that was eyeing me with curiosity, but I would have time to think about him later. I took a step away from Jaden and Syrus, lip trembling as somebody stood up with the same incredulous look I knew I was sporting.

"Some day?" I whispered. Tears filled my eyes as a reply was whispered back in the deadly silent room.

"Somehow?" A single tear ran down my face, but I didn't move to wipe it away.

"Some way…"

"_Mayday!_" We each released a single sob after saying it together, and I threw myself at him, who was smiling broadly with open arms.

"_Atticus!_" I cried. Atticus caught me with a small stumble backwards, but neither of us cared. We were both sobbing in each other's arms, not noticing the astonished faces of everybody else. Atticus pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head, and sniffled.

"I've missed you, Evie," he murmured, stroking my hair. I rested my head on his chest as he rocked us, eyes closed.

"I missed you too, Atti. It's been too long," I muttered in response. Atticus shivered.

"I know. Seven years really _is _too long."

Suddenly a round of applause and cheering exploded, and we broke apart to see the room on its feet, except for a brooding tealette with a white Obelisk Blue jacket in the back, eating quietly. Next to him was a dark-skinned guy with dreadlocks and a Duel Disk in fashion of a gun, glaring at the wall in front of him.

"What are you guys doing?" Atticus sniffed again, and I giggled as I saw him go cross-eyed to see if his nose had turned red. The blunette with green eyes stepped forward with a goofy grin, still clapping.

"Why, we're just congratulating the newly reunited lovers, that's what!" he wolf-whistled with a wink, causing Atticus to pale, and me to blush crimson. My face became splotchy in an extremely unflattering manner, causing the blunette to laugh.

"What are we going to tell everybody?!" he hissed into my ear. I elbowed him in the ribs and fought for control of my blush, smiling at the blunette.

"A happy hello to you too, Mister," I held out my hand with a mock politeness, plastering on a deliberately sweet smile. "My name is Eve Aria, and you all are?"

Suddenly a line formed behind the blunette as he shook my hand, an open and friendly smile on his face.

"Why, my name is Jesse Anderson. A pleasure to meet ya, miss!" he winked one more time, causing my blush to return full force. Snorting to cover my embarrassment, I nodded in acknowledgement as Jesse walked away. My chest lurched uncomfortably, trying to tell me something, but a twist of the stomach convinced me that it was just nerves at meeting such a handsome boy. I made a mental note to ask Jaden and Syrus about him. An Aussie looking guy stepped up with a small bow, and my eyes widened slightly upon seeing a crocodile strapped to his back. I kept my eyes on what I observed as a her while I shook his hand, and noticed an amused smile on his face, a single forest green and ocean blue mix shining as his eye. The other was bandaged, mostly hidden under his intense bangs and hat.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss. The name's Jim," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. I rolled my eyes, but gretted him in return. The next person to greet me while I stood comfortably in Atticus' arms was a Ra Yellow, much like me, but his uniform was a vest, and he was dressed in a military style. He shook my hand with vigor and energy, a wide smile on his face.

"Why, you can just call me Hassleberry, madam! Nice to see one of the Sarges with such a pretty woman," he winked at me, which earned him an eye roll, but otherwise an amused smile. The next person to come up and shake my hand made Atticus break from my grip and shift uncomfortably, a hand on his chest with his eyes squeezed shut. I was going to ask him if he was alright, but another stirring in my chest made me wince and keep quiet.

_This person is important._ I don't know who had thought it in my head, but the fact remained.

"An honor to meet you, Miss Eve Aria," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. I frowned, but didn't allow him to see it. His hair was about shoulder length, a silvery grey color. With pale skin and bright blue eyes, his face looked serious and childish all at the same time. He was wearing silver suit and slacks, a dark undershirt, and a blue-ish grey tie. I offered a sharp nod, and moved to firmly grasp his hand.

"An honor to meet you as well, uh...?"

"Aster. Aster Phoenix."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Aster."

Aster walked away with a small smile, and a bow. The second mind inside of my head bristled with anticipation, seeing him.

_He is seventeen years of age._

I blinked. That thought had not come from me, obviously, but I was surprised nonetheless. A girl walked up next, and again that irritating pulse in my chest acted up again. She had honey blonde hair, stopping at the middle of her back, and eyes of the same shade. She had the same bold, natural bangs that Atticus bore, and instantly I knew who she was.

_She is sixteen years of age, at this point._

I held out a hand, sure the smile on my face was off-putting to a queasy person, such as Syrus.

"Alexis Rhodes. Atti has told me all about you." And he had. We had exchanged emails, text messages, and then phone calls in the last seven years, though after that day, we never saw each other in person. Alexis blushed, and shook my hand while averting my gaze.

"Nice to meet you, Eve," she said simply. We nodded, and another person walked up, but my second mind offered no information on this person, so I knew nothing of him other than his appearance.

He had dark skin, and dreadlocks cut to his neck. I found myself being stared at with sharp, amber yellow eyes. He also wore military garb, but without any dorm identification. I swiftly assessed him with my eyes and caught sight of his duel disk, fashioned in the shape of a gun. I supressed the surprising urge to sneer at his seriousness, and nodded shortly.

"Eve," I said. He considered me for a moment, and then nodded back, and held out a hand which I slowly took.

"Axel. Axel Brodie." We gripped each other's hand for a moment, using more grip than necessary, and then he let go, turning abruptly and leaving the room. My second mind rolled about in my head lazily, happy for his departure. One last person approached, albeit warily, and I noticed it was the brooding tealette in the white Obelisk Blue jacket, a scowl on his face. He stuck out his hand with a curled lip, the other crossed over his chest in a defensive gesture.

"Zane Truesdale. You'd best not cause any trouble while here, New Girl," he said. He stared at me with hard, teal eyes, obviously expecting me to back down. I stared right back, my already narrow turquoise eyes becoming smaller in my irritation to his attitude. After a moment he nodded, as though finding what he was looking for as our hands dropped. A small smile invaded his expression, and he embraced me quickly. Too stunned for words, I merely stared along with everybody else as Zane sat back down and continued his meal as though nothing had happened. Jaden coughed to break the uneasy silence that had fallen, and grinned sideways at me with a wink.

"Care for a bite of fried shrimp?"

-/-/-/-

As I finished my food, I quickly realized that everybody, while friends with Chazz, had a reason to doubt his reciprocation. I grew antsy at hearing their words. What if I was making a mistake, going on a date with Chazz, disregarding what everybody else had indirectly warned me about?

_Do not let the others deter you from your want. He is important, and you can make your own decisions. _

I silently agreed with my second mind, and pushed my fourth plate away just as Jaden did. We both looked at each other for a second, then grinned at each other.

"I call fifths!"

Syrus, who was walking in the room with a tray of food, rolled his eyes, but brought us each a tray. I smiled at him, earning a smaller one in return. Jaden shoveled half of the food in his mouth, and gave an enthusiastic, however muffled, thanks. I noticed immediately the way Syrus' eyes lit up, and he grinned widely in return.

"It was no problem at all, Aniki!" He sat down back at his place next to Alexis, who was having a 'heated debate' with Bastion about Duel Monsters strategies. I smiled at the comfortable atmosphere, choosing to just have fun and get to know everybody, which resulted in me getting made fun of for now having large sheets of paper taped over my walls, which would in the future be painted a delicate lavender.

"It is _not _nerdy to have paper on my wall for writing!" I exclaimed. Atticus nudged his fist into my short hair, mussing up the bangs that made up most of my style. I'm not sure if anybody noticed, but it had the same kind of... pouf, for lack of a better word. I snarled quietly, and glared openly at Hassleberry and Aster, who were laughing heartily at my expense. They both stopped short as Aster sucked in a sharp breath, straightening up to get a better look at me.

"Eve... your eyes. They've changed."

I pulled out the mirror I had in my pocket for remarks such as this, and took a quick peek. Sure enough, the pupil had all but disappeared, turning white with a black ring, a startling violet. I could see flecks of black surrounding the 'pupil' and a glittery sheen. I smiled, slowly.

"Yes, well you see, that tends to happen. I guess there's no reason to lie, given that it's already happened."

The whole room fell silent, all giving their full attention to me. It was Jaden especially, his expression one of worry and extreme guilt, marred with despair. I chose not to dwell on how horrible my second mind felt at seeing his pain, but I did my best to focus and remain indifferent.

"I am not completely sure how to explain this, but there... there is a second mind inside of my head.

"I recall vaguely getting bit by a faerie about seven years ago, and then after that if my emotions got too out of control, my eyes would change to this color, and whatever emotion I was feeling at the moment to trigger that is heightened to an extreme, and snuffs out any other emotion until it passes. Crazy, right?"

Nobody said anything, and my second mind growled.

_You didn't tell them my name._

"Her name is Laia. She's like the temperamental older sister I never had," I joked. Nobody said anything still, and Jaden specifically had gone ashen white. I frowned at him, and cocked my head to the side. My eyes were still violet, and I still had that small grin on my face, which I think was the cause of Jaden's flinch.

"It's almost like the Supreme King."

I turned around, surprised. Jesse was looking at me with hard eyes, hands balled into fists.

"It's practically the same thing. Recently…. We went to something called the Dark World. An alternate dimension where Duel Monsters ruled, and dueling was highly disregarded. Hated, even. I was trapped in that world, after the first time we managed to get out. Along my travels, in search of my way to escape, I was met by an extremely rare and powerful Duel Monster named Yubel. She had convinced me that Jaden had abandoned me, and eventually I allowed her access to my body. Jaden and some of the others came back, from what I had heard, and eventually Jaden found me, or rather, Yubel.

"Later, I found out that a second… mind, as you say it, had possessed Jaden, named the Supreme King. He was the ruler of the Dark World, and sent any opposing to the stars. Or rather, trapped in a separate dimension. His eyes would change color, and his whole demeanor changed. He was angry all the time, and snappish. Cold, and heartless. This other half of Jaden was the King of Darkness itself.

"But then he learned how to control the Supreme King, after Axel saved him with the Eye of Orichalcum. They are two halves of the same person, and after the duel with Yubel that I exited half-way through, she herself able to take on her own form, they intertwined their souls. Jaden now has the Supreme King and Yubel within his mind, and Yubel acts as a second entity living within his soul."

I sat quietly throughout the story, not giving any reaction to the explanation. After thinking it over and listening hard to Laia, I drew the same conclusions that she did.

_The Supreme King is Haou, and this most certainly is Jaden Jacobs. _

I turned to pierce Jaden with my violet eyes, and looked into his mind. I found Haou, and Laia immediately pulled him forward. I opened my eyes to see a sharp golden glint, so vivid in my memories of seven years ago. I released a harsh sigh.

"_Haou, it does not bode well to have hidden all these years,_" I said. Haou, the Supreme King, blinked at me before his face split into a wide grin, and he embraced me swiftly.

"**Laia, dear, I had to. You know my reasoning,**" he replied. I smiled, and embraced him back before coaxing him gently back into Jaden's mind. I searched now for Yubel, and found her within seconds. We had not broken our embrace, and Yubel was bristling with curiosity and suspicion towards me. I brought her out with a gentle tug, and when Jaden's eyes opened again, the left was orange, the other a bright blue green.

"_Yubel. So nice to meet you,_" I murmured.

"**I believe that I do not completely return your feelings, but I am happy at an opportunity to stretch one's legs, as I do not have the privelige, given my earlier mental state,**" was the reply. I nodded once, and guided Yubel back to her haven. We both surfaced again with a slight headache, and I stared grimly about the room. They were all shocked, and Jesse looked almost to lose his dinner. I felt a pang in my chest, and before anybody could say anything or react, I stood, grabbed my before forgotten bag, and strode from the room.

-/-/-/-

"Well, Eve, I see you clean up quite nicely," Princeton murmured.

He bowed in front of the door to my dorm, which was mine alone, and grinned up at me a second later. I was wearing a sort of Ra Yellow knee-length dress, with my studded gloves. My short brown hair had been groomed nicely, and it shone as I stepped out into the night with Princeton. He himself had chosen to resurrect his old Obelisk Blue trench coat, and he looked more regal. He took my arm, and we walked to the fountain area outside Obelisk Blue dorms. We sat down on a nearby bench, and faced each other.

"So. I'm here, what do you want to know about me?" I asked. Princeton regarded me for a moment, and then a look of determination flitted about his features.

"Favourite color?"

"Purple."

"Favorite food?"

"Anything burger."

"Pastime?"

"Writing."

"What kind of writing?"

"..Supernatural romance."

"Really? So, after earlier, like our lives here at Duel Academy?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Birthday?"

"June 17th."

"Really? That's in a few months."

"Well, I'd usually remind myself how long until my birthday, but who really pays attention?"

We sat there for a while, Princeton asking questions about me. Finally, he came across a question that I hesitated answering.

"What is one thing you always dreamed of having?"

I sat there, staring at him. I was tempted to just say _I want you, Jaden, and Jesse. _But that would have been a little awkward for a Get to Know Each Other kind of date. So I settled with the second on the list.

"I want a bright, violet colored rose. Just one. I've never seen one before, except in pictures, and I think it's the most beautiful color a flower could have."

Princeton smiled for a moment, then nodded. We moved to questions about him, and I learned things like that he hated crab, his birthday was February 11, and his favourite color was grey (no surprise there). After absently checking my watch, I realized that it was already nearing eleven. I smiled at him, and yawned involuntarily.

"Well, Princeton, it seems as though you're keeping a woman up past curfew. Do you mind walking me back?" I asked. We both stood up, and Princeton took my hand with a small smile.

"Why I would be honored. It's not everyday the Chazz gets to spend so much time with such a pretty girl," he winked, and I chuckled, cheeks turning pink. Luckily he couldn't see it, so I was glad. The date had gone well, and we embraced quickly at the door of my dorm room.

"Well, Princeton, I'd say that we had a good time. Would you like to go out on another some time?" Princeton smiled widely for a second, face flushing, and then he composed himself. He nodded once, but the smile was still there, if only barely.

"Maybe every other day during the week, at eight?"

"Consider those days of the week taken, Princeton. I'll see you in a couple of days?"

"That's the greatest news I've heard yet."

He walked away with a single wave and one last smile, leaving me to close the door softly and fall atop my bed with a happy sigh. Who knew Jaden and everybody else were so wrong about Princeton? I had thought he would be cocky and arrogant, the way Jaden had explained it. But that was okay. As long as the others didn't find out about me and Chazz, we could all be fine. I snuggled against my pillow that night with a smile on my face as I closed my eyes, slipping easily into sleep.

_Do not let him deter your destiny. I support either Haou's host, or the Anderson boy. You will not interact with him throughout the term, if I have anything to say about it._

-/-/-/-

_**A/N: Well, that's the official Chapter 1! What did you guys think? Should I continue? Would you guys read this eagerly? Let me know in reviews, favourites, and follows!**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_**I would appreciate it so much!**_


End file.
